There is no conclusion: Israel is slowing down the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the country

The deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the country has been called into question due to Israel's refusal to withdraw its troops. This was stated to Izvestia by the representative of the UN peacekeeping forces, Andrea Tenenti. Meanwhile, the government in Beirut has considered a plan to establish a state monopoly on weapons by the end of 2025, which implies the consent of the Shiite Hezbollah movement to partial disarmament. However, the movement has already stated that it does not intend to make concessions, calling the initiative a mistake. Against the background of the ongoing IDF attacks on Hezbollah positions, the Jewish state has also approved a large-scale construction plan in the West Bank, which threatens to finally bury the idea of Palestinian statehood.

The situation in southern Lebanon

The deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the southern regions of the country is impossible without the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. This was stated to Izvestia by Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). According to him, the actions of the Jewish state actually undermine the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1701, which regulates the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border since 2006.

— If they (Israeli troops. — Izvestia) will not leave, it will be impossible to deploy the Lebanese army there. If you want the army to be deployed, if you want to meet deadlines, the IDF must withdraw its troops. Otherwise, resolution 1701 is being violated, and Lebanon's sovereignty is being undermined," Tenenti stressed.

He recalled that the current mandate of UNIFIL runs until the end of 2026. However, the resolution includes a paragraph allowing the UN Secretary General to consider additional options for the mission's presence. "This is a very interesting region, a lot can change at the last moment," said the representative of the mission.

On September 5, the Lebanese Government reviewed a plan submitted by the army to establish a state monopoly on gun ownership by the end of 2025. The initiative involves the gradual disarmament of all formations, including the Shiite Hezbollah movement. The Cabinet of Ministers hopes to reach an agreement with the organization and thereby avoid the risk of a new civil conflict.

— We are conducting many joint events and exercises to provide the Lebanese army with the necessary capabilities to deploy and redeploy in southern Lebanon. At the same time, we are taking all the positions they left during the conflict together with them," said Andrea Tenenti.

However, sharp disagreements have already arisen within the government. Hezbollah officials said the government's decision was a "huge mistake." The movement's Secretary General, Naim Qassem, stressed that the movement's weapons are a guarantee of the country's security in the face of Israeli aggression. According to him, the organization will continue to act as if no decisions have been made.

Washington's Roadmap

The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon entered into force on November 27, 2024. According to the agreements, Israel was to withdraw its troops within 60 days, and Hezbollah pledged to withdraw forces beyond the Litani River. The Lebanese army, with the support of UNIFIL, was to take control of the southern borders.

But nine months after the signing of the document, the situation remains extremely tense. The IDF still occupies five strategic locations in the south of the country. The Israeli side claims that it is attacking exclusively the military infrastructure of Hezbollah, the strikes are aimed at eliminating the threat posed by the Shiite resistance.

Back in the summer, Washington presented a roadmap for the disarmament of Hezbollah. In exchange for the movement's renunciation of weapons, Israel pledged to stop the attacks. However, as noted in Beirut, from November 2024 to August 2025, more than 4.3 thousand violations of the truce were recorded.

Retired Lebanese Brigadier General George Nader, in an interview with Izvestia, noted that Israel's intervention in the disarmament process could have devastating consequences not only for the group itself, but also for Lebanon as a whole.

Nader stressed that this is why it is especially important for Lebanon to work out its own solution inside the country and not allow a scenario to be imposed from the outside. He added that the main task of the government and political forces is to find an internal solution, and not to give Israel and its allies the opportunity to dictate terms by force.

The escalation in the Middle East

Against this background, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took measures on September 11 that effectively deprive the prospects of creating an independent Palestinian state. He approved the construction of thousands of housing units in the Mevaseret Adumim neighborhood, linking Jerusalem and Maale Adumim.

This project will actually divide the West Bank into two parts, violating the territorial integrity of the future Palestinian state. Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister and leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, called the decision a historic step and a response to the willingness of a number of Western countries to recognize Palestine.

The consolidation of Israel in the area east of Jerusalem will complicate any negotiations on a peaceful settlement. If this construction is implemented, the Palestinians will find themselves in a situation where they will not have a single territorial entity. This will bury the concept of two states.

The Palestinian Fatah faction previously told Izvestia that Israeli settlements in the West Bank pose a serious obstacle to the peace process. They violate international law and Security Council resolutions, including No. 2334, which classifies settlement construction as a "blatant violation of international law."

In addition, on September 9, Israel attacked a building in Doha where a negotiating delegation of the Hamas leadership was located. Representatives of the Palestinian movement in Qatar, according to media reports, discussed the latest United States proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the head of the movement survived. Nevertheless, the escalating situation forced US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pay an official visit to Israel in order to prevent an escalation between Washington's two important allies in the Middle East. He arrived in the Jewish state on September 14th.

In Russia, Israel's actions against Qatar were called a violation of international law. "The rocket attack on Qatar, a country that plays a key mediating role in the indirect talks between Hamas and the Israeli leadership on ending the war in the Gaza Strip that has been going on for almost two years and freeing detainees, cannot be perceived as anything other than an action aimed at undermining international efforts to find peaceful solutions," the secretary of the Russian Security Council said. Sergei Shoigu.

Amid the escalation, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation organized an extraordinary summit in Doha on September 15, at which they condemned Israel's actions. In their opinion, the strikes have jeopardized all the achievements of Arab and Islamic countries in relations with the Jewish state and undermine existing agreements with it. Benjamin Netanyahu does not consider the strike against the Hamas leadership in Qatar to be a failure, since Israel thus sent a signal that his country would "get to the terrorists."